How to Make the Perfect Falafel

I usually make falafel using an inexpensive mix I buy at the health food store. Although this method below seems a bit more time consuming, it's so very much worth it in the end. Although she doesn't mention it in her video, hot sauce is frequently used in falafel sandwiches and is a must-have when I make them. You can find pickled turnip in the ethnic foods section of your grocery store or use one of the numerous recipes available online to make it yourself. Traditionally, other pickled vegetables are sometimes served with falafel balls, so don't feel guilty about doing what I do, which is to occasionally use things like pickles or hot peppers.

To make the garlic sauce to which she refers near the end of the video, peel one whole garlic bulb and toss it into the blender, slowly adding a half cup of oil and around a tablespoon of lemon juice while blending until smooth. The finished product should have a mayo-like consistency and some like to salt it a little, but I don't. There are variations on this garlic sauce recipe available online, so Google away.

Compensating for Lack of Food Goodliness

Had I started this blog 7-8 years ago, I think that I'd be writing more about food. Specifically, I'd be describing my wild recipe experiments, sharing their successes (and whoppin' failures) and posting snazzy photos of the results. I was cooking for two back then, and one of us was an omni who loved to eat, so I was hell-bent on concocting delicious recipes that kept him contentedly meat-free. These days I have less of an inclination to play in the kitchen, but I can live vicariously through fellow bloggers who have the time, talent, creativity (and willing additional diners) to be able to work their cooking mojo like crazy. Here are a few things that got my attention this week:

My friend Melissa (who, incidentally, really needs to write a cookbook now) has been posting up a storm on her newish blog The Papaya Chronicles. Last Sunday, she shared a recipe for Roasted Veggie Couscous. I love how she provides meal-time context along with her recipes, as well as suggestions for variations that could be just as yummy as the original recipe, itself.

The folks over at Hungry Hungry Veganos posted a recipe a few days ago for a Fabulous Falafel Gyro w/ Titillating Tahini Sauce that's had me craving falafel (one of my favourite things in the world) all week.

If you lean towards liking your eats quite spicy and are curious about East African cuisine, Claire at Chez Cayenne posted a recipe yesterday for Zanzibar Beans in Coconut Sauce that looks as scrumptious as I'll bet it tastes.

Now off I go to distract myself from my hunger pangs by perusing some of my favourite non-food-related blogs... at least until I can get home and cook!

ETA: I hope to highlight my favourite food bloggers' vegan recipes a couple of times a month. If you have such a happeningblog featuring mouth-watering vegan concoctions and you'd like to do a link exchange, please do drop me a line so that I can stay on top of whatever creations you've been offering up to the interwebs.

Some vegan recipes circulating in the online news

The Allentown Morning Call has a recipe for Chocolate Ganache Cake from new cookbook You Won't Believe It's Vegan! by Lacey Sher and Gail Doherty. TV's WRAL is featuring what sounds like an incredible recipe for Sun-Dried Tomato Falafel in Pitas from Beverly Lynn Bennett's Vegan Bites: Recipes for Singles cookbook.

Chocolate ganache cake and falafel -- does it get any better?